Israel receives remains of three bodies believed to be captives from Gaza

CAIRO – 31 October 2025: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said Friday it facilitated the transfer of three bodies to Israel from Gaza, forming part of the ongoing prisoner exchange arrangement with Hamas.

Israeli authorities confirmed receiving the remains, which will undergo forensic examinations to verify their identities.

If confirmed to be among the Israeli captives, the discovery will raise the total number of deceased captives returned by Hamas under the current ceasefire agreement to 18.

Hamas also released all 20 living captives it held shortly after the ceasefire took effect on October 10.

In exchange, Israel has freed nearly 2,000 living Palestinian detainees, including about 1,700 individuals from Gaza who were held without charge during the war, along with the remains of more than 200 deceased Palestinians.

Hamas is required to hand over around 10 additional bodies of Israeli captives they still hold in the coming days.